AI music transcription you can check by ear
Bring a recording, a video link, a PDF or a MIDI file. ScoreStarling writes it out as a score, plays it beside the original so you can hear what is wrong, and exports sheet music, jianpu, TAB, MIDI or MusicXML.
Drop a recording, a video or sheet music here
Audio or video up to 95 MB, a link from 19 video and music sites, a printed PDF or picture, or a MusicXML, MIDI or ABC file.
No file handy?
ScoreStarling is an AI music transcription workspace in the browser. It turns recordings, videos, links and printed music into editable scores, plays each score beside its source so you can check it by ear, and is free for a voice, one instrument or solo piano.
Start from what you have
| You have | You want | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| An MP3 or other recording | Sheet music | MP3 to sheet music |
| A piano recording or video | Both hands on a grand staff | Piano audio to sheet music |
| A band or ensemble recording | A score and parts | Band recording to sheet music |
| A YouTube or Bilibili link | Sheet music or TAB | YouTube to sheet music |
| A hummed or sung tune | A melody on a staff | Voice memo to sheet music |
| A song | Jianpu | Audio to jianpu |
| A recording | A MIDI or MusicXML file | Audio to MIDI, audio to MusicXML |
| A guitar recording | Guitar TAB | Audio to guitar TAB |
| A PDF or photo of sheet music | Playback, MIDI, a new key | Sheet music to audio, transpose sheet music |
Three ways to transcribe a recording
| Choice | Writes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One instrument or voice | One line on one staff; a chord part keeps its notes | Free, three a day |
| Solo piano | Both hands, chords and the pedal, with bar lines and meter | Free, three a day |
| Band or several instruments | Each instrument on its own staff, with parts | 40 credits a minute |
Each covers the first five minutes of a recording. The workspace listens first and suggests a choice.
Why checking by ear matters
Every automatic transcription makes mistakes: notes a semitone off, an octave too high, rhythms that drift. ScoreStarling plays the score and the original side by side, slides between the two, and loops a bar, so you hear where they differ and fix those notes on the staff, with undo and saved versions.
What you can do with the score
- Edit pitches, durations, key, clef, meter and transposition.
- Read it as staff notation, guitar TAB or jianpu.
- Download a PDF, MP3 or WAV for free; MusicXML and MIDI once the score is unlocked.
- Ask Starling, the built-in assistant, or ChatGPT and Claude to edit, arrange or transpose it for you.
Good to know
- Five minutes per recording, for every account. Uploads up to 95 MB.
- No Guitar Pro export, bends or slides, and no drum charts on their own.
- The first draft needs a listen and some fixing before you perform from it.
Questions and answers
How accurate is AI music transcription?
Good enough for a first draft, not a finished score. In our October 2026 test on 12 guitar recordings, the engine ScoreStarling uses for one instrument found note starts with an onset F1 of 0.744 out of 1. Plan to correct some notes by ear. See how we measured it.
Is there a free AI music transcription tool?
Yes. On ScoreStarling a voice, one instrument or solo piano is free, up to three recordings a day and five minutes each, with free PDF, MP3 and WAV downloads. Reading printed sheet music and score files is free too.
Can it transcribe a whole band?
Yes, with each instrument on its own staff. It uses 40 credits a minute, shown before it starts. See band recording to sheet music.
Can it give me jianpu or guitar TAB?
Yes. Any score can be shown and printed as jianpu, 1 = the key or 1 = C, and a guitar, bass or ukulele part as TAB under the staff or alone.
Which files and sites does it take?
MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF and video files up to 95 MB; links from YouTube, Bilibili, TikTok, Instagram, SoundCloud and 14 other sites; PDFs and pictures of printed staff notation; MusicXML, MIDI and ABC files.
Can I use it in ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. ScoreStarling connects to ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants over MCP, and has its own assistant, Starling, in the workspace. See the connection guide.
How is it different from AnthemScore, Klangio or Songscription?
Each fits different needs; we compare them from their own sites in AnthemScore alternatives, ScoreStarling vs Klangio and ScoreStarling vs Songscription.